The present invention relates to a device and a method for the simulation of the configuration and the process in a development environment, comprising a development system for a test bench for a unit under test, and a simulation device, wherein a real automation device is provided in the development system for the operation of the test bench, the test bench and the unit under test in the simulation device are simulated by means of a test model generating simulation data, and the automation device and the simulation device are connected to each other via real interfaces of the development system, and the automation device processes generated simulation data.
(Further) improvements of motors, transmissions, motor trains, or entire vehicles, or parts thereof, are usually performed on special test benches, such as motor test benches, roller test benches, etc. For this purpose said test benches are controlled and regulated by dedicated automation systems, such as the PUMA series by the applicant, wherein in addition to the manual controls, fully automated test runs may, of course, also be generated and executed. However, such test benches are very complex technical units, which must be adapted to the respective application by means of respective configuration and parameterization. Therefore, each application requires its own configuration of the components needed, such as test bench HW and SW, measuring devices, indexing technology, data collection and analysis, development tools, etc. The efforts are increased by the fact that currently multiple test benches are in use parallel to each other (testing plants), and testing tasks are performed in parallel. The setup or new configuration of a test bench, and in particular of entire test facilities, therefore requires an enormous effort, which will have an effect on the operator during downtimes of several days. The breaking in period alone of the new SW version, such as the automation SW, poses a risk, since an estimate of whether all test bench components still interact with each other and function without error cannot be made.
Another problem is the creation of test processes wherein even simple new test processes may cause substantial problems due to the complexity of the systems during implementation at the operator's location. The creation and testing of test processes at the real test bench directly therefore also represents a cost-intensive and complex operation.
The necessary training of operating personnel is also not economically possible on real test benches, since a dedicated (expensive) training test bench must be provided for this purpose, or a test bench for this purpose will not be able to be operated productively. Furthermore, a training possibility would have to be available for each configuration.
It is therefore desirable to utilize simulators, by means of which a test bench can be simulated.
For this purpose a test device for industrial automation systems of a technical system is known from WO 00/41050A1. Said test device allows the modeling of the technical system and the connection of the same to the real control environment. In this manner a configurable technical system may be simulated in connection with the control environment. For this purpose the technical system is modeled in the form of responses of certain system parts to control signals of the control environment. Therefore, this enables the closing of real existing control loops via a simulator, on which the models are run. In this manner the behavior of an automation system of a technical system may be first tested. Training of the operating personnel is easily possible on such a simulator in a simple manner.
However, modern development environments, utilized in motor, drive train, transmission, vehicle components, or vehicle development, go far beyond a mere automation system for controlling a test bench. In particular, further development tools are required in addition to test stand automation, which enable the desired analyses of data obtained from the test bench or from the unit under test. For this purpose said data is collected by certain measuring devices in real time, and is usually irrelevant for automation, but is mainly required for the development task. For example, a motor as the unit under test of a test bench is equipped with a series of measuring devices, such as indexing devices having cylinder pressure transducers, emission measuring devices, consumption measuring devices, etc., which detect a plurality of motor data (such as of the combustion, emission data, consumption data, etc) during a test run for the development. Said detected data, of course, must be correspondingly analyzed for the development of the motor as a function of the operation of the motor (also as a function of the automation system). Another example of required development tools is the calibration tool. Calibration, for example, of the motor control unit, is a multi-dimensional task, caused by the ever increasing amount of actuators and variation parameters. Further tools are analysis tools, by means of which the results of the various development tools are mutually analyzed and re-processed.
A development environment therefore requires an error-free interaction of the automation environment with the additionally required development tools. In particular, since a development task requires an overall harmonized process of the systems involved, and the data processed all originates from the test bench or from the unit under test.
However, the mere simulation of the automation environment, as known from prior art, is not sufficient in order to be able to simulate the configuration and process of complex development environments. For this purpose the data generated for the automation system and for the development must be conformed to one other in order to be able to continuously simulate the development environment to enable plausibility tests and to ensure the repeatability of test runs.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a device and a method, by means of which the configuration of and the process can be completely simulated in a development environment having a test bench for a unit under test, and a real automation system.